Punching Bag Work Ethic

One might think working on a punching bag would be an easy task from a distance. You walk up to it and throw a punch as hard as you can and it doesn’t punch you back — done? Not quite.

Punching bags offer so much more than just a hanging bag full of wool and cotton — they help with technique, power and accuracy. It’s a staple of the fighting world, a great way to stay fit, and also an outlet to release the stresses of the day in a cathartic manner. All the boxing greats have put in time on the punching bags, and the rewards are always beneficial. Look at their arms for crying out loud — they spell fitness but shout out ‘danger I am not to be toyed with’. Here we shall discuss the steps involved in setting up your punching bag and some basic tips for beginners:

Things you need:

· An open space with a solid ceiling

· Punching Bag

· Wall Brackets

· Boxing Gloves

Step 1:

Use hand wraps to cover up your hands and wrists for protection and then put on your boxing gloves. Hand wraps keeps your hand integrity in place while you throw leather. You can put on punch bag mitts or heavy bag gloves depending upon your preference — although it is normally advised sport heavy bag gloves with extra padding, to avoid hand damage.

Step 2:

Stand a little further than an arms distance of the punching bag. Make sure you are using your hip movement to land your punches instead of just standing and delivering without any proper body movement.

Step 3:

Dig your feet into the ground while throwing a punch. Make sure you’re punching and not pushing the punching bag. Imagine ‘striking a match’ with every punch. Hence the word ‘strike’. One easy way to know the quality of your punch is to hear the sound that it makes with the punching bag.

Step 4:

Working with the punching bag is a lot like running, it’s all about breathing. Power punches require a very solid breathing technique, don’t let the bag wear you out and make it work with your rhythm.

Step 5:

Throwing 3 to 6 punches at a time is the sweet spot. Not 1, not 2, and NOT 10. If the bag pops and not just swings then you’re doing it right and if any part of your arm hurts then you did it wrong and you need to rethink your punching technique.